Improvement in station-indicators



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JOSIAH L. BAKER, OF WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STATION-INDICATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,869, dated November 17, 1874 application filed October 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH L. BAKER, of the city of Winchester, of Frederick county, State of Virginia, have invented an Indicator of Stations for Railroads, Street-Oars, and Steamboats, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to promote the convenience of passengers and others travcling on railroad-cars or steamboats, by indicating, in a prominent and certain manner, the arrival of such conveyances at their regular stations or stopping-places.

The same machine, with trifling modifications, can also be used as a calendar, to indicate the days and the months of the year, and in this connection will be found useful as an advertising medium.

The nature of this invention consists in a box with suitable openings in the front and rear. Within the box are two rollers, any convenient distance apart. From the ends of the rollers project journals through the sides of the box, and upon these journals the rollers revolve. Upon one end of the rollers are fixed spur-Wheels, between which, andengaging with them, is a third spur-wheel. By revolvin g the middle wheel motion is comm unicated to both rollers simultaneously, and attached to the rollers is a band or ribbon, upon which are painted or printed the names of the various stations or towns, any one of which can be brought opposite the openings in the box by revolving the rollers, which causes the band to be wound around the periphery of one roller, and to be unwound from the other, thus permitting the names of the stations to be read through the front aperture. At night a lamp, or light of some sort, is placed behind the opening, in the rear of the box, which, shining upon the band or ribbon, causes the same to become a transparency, and thus exhibit the letters or figures inscribed upon it with great distinctness, the whole of which will appear by the drawings herewith.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of theexterior of the indicator and box, of which B is the receptacle for the lamp; A, a portion of one end of the car. W is the back of the box, containing the rollers, and is provided at top with an annular opening, through which "the plug U penetrates, and at the bottom the back W enters a recess cut in the ledge X,.

which is also attached to the end of the car A. In the plug U is a slot, through which the wedge V is inserted, which secures the box firmly tothe end of the car, and also permits of its ready removal when it is desirable to shift it to the opposite end of the car. A pull on the lever P causes the double pawl K to rotate the spur-wheel 0, together with its shaft H, and also the middle spur-wheel contained inside the box, thus causing both the rollers to move, and draw the band into the required position to exhibit the name of the station desired. Upon the release of the lever P it is drawn upward by the link Y, which is attached to the gong-sounder, and the gong is struck, thus indicating the arrival at another station. The spur-wheel O can be revolved in either direction, at will, by simply turning the knob M, to which is attached an eccentric, which bears upon the spring L, and presses one point or the other against'the pawl K.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the'two rollers contained inside the box with their spur-wheels T T, and the middle spur-wheel S.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of one of the rollers, each of which has a groove throughout its whole length, into which the band is inserted nearitsends, and is secured in each groove by means of a wedge.

Fig. at is a detached view of the knob M, showing the eccentric.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of the lever P, the link Y, the spur-wheel 0, double pawl K, spring L, and knob M.

Fig. 6 is a detached view of the spring L, eccentric M, and double pawl K,.the lever P being removed.

1 do not confine myself to the exact construction, as indicated in the foregoing description and drawings. Thus the band may be an endless band, and the machine may be operated by suitable connections with the wheels or axles of the car to which it is applied instead of by the hand of thebrakesman or conductor. Springs may also applied on the inside of the box E to bear upon the rollers, and thus regulate their motion should this be found desirable in practice.

I claim as my invention-- 2. The combination of the box E, Wheels 0 1. The indicator formed by the combination S, and'T, lever P, link Y, and alarm bell G, as of the box E having openings front and rear, and for the purpose described and shown. and inclosing rollers and band, operated by Wheels S and T, lever P, Wheels 0, pawl K, JOSIAH L. BAKER. spring L, and eccentric M.'the Whole being Witnesses:

adjustable to either end of a passenger-car, E. O. WEAVER,

as and for the purpose described. MORTON TOULMIN. 

